Moving away from medieval times, Vlácil turns his attention to an era almost as inhumane: World War II and the moments after its end, with individuals helpless against the march of history once again the director's focus. A grieving Czech veteran returns home to claim the property of a high–ranking Nazi and is given the man's beautiful daughter Adelheid as a servant. In a world unhindered by the weight of cultural expectation their relationship might have broken through their isolation, but here, amidst a landscape still littered with broken glass, shrapnel–riddled paintings, distant gunshots, and dog cages where people were recently chained, nothing is certain. Each may yearn for closeness, or each may merely yearn for revenge. Chronicling a love born in the wrong time, Adelheid is given further power by the brilliant, nearly wordless performances of Petr Cepk and Emma Cerna.